Ten people have been killed and five others seriously injured after a minibus taxi crashed into a tree in the Cato Ridge area of KwaZulu-Natal.
The crash happened on the MR385 on Wednesday afternoon, 7 October 2026.
Preliminary information indicates that the taxi lost control while negotiating a bend before leaving the road and crashing into a tree.
Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 5pm, where multiple passengers were found trapped inside the wreckage.
Ten male occupants were declared dead at the scene, while five survivors sustained serious to critical injuries. They were stabilised by paramedics before being transported to hospital for further treatment.
Rescue teams, including firefighters and search-and-rescue personnel, used hydraulic rescue equipment, including the Jaws of Life, to free some of those trapped in the wreckage.
According to Arrive Alive, the taxi’s driver and conductor survived the crash.
The exact circumstances that led to the crash remain under investigation by the South African Police Service and Road Traffic Inspectorate.
The KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department has also assigned a road safety team to work with the local taxi association to identify the deceased and locate their families.
